This preseason the New England Patriots opened up against the Atlanta Falcons, and as far as my thoughts on the Falcons go for 2006, the key to their success is for QB Michael Vick to remain healthy. In addition, Atlanta must allow the defense, reinforced by the addition of LB John Abraham (Jets) and SS Lawyer Milloy (Bills), to keep offenses from passing deep and terrorize opposing QB's.

The Pats have a lot on their plate of changes... There are key losses on both sides of the ball, but in my opinion, if the running game with Corey Dillon (5/27 yards) and Laurence Maroney (99/66 yards) hammers out the way I feel it can, WR Deion Branch may be on the outside looking in, while QB Tom Brady gets a much deserved rest.

The Pats opening drive featured a majority of running plays with Dillon, Maroney and Kevin Faulk. Dillon had a run taken away due to a penalty on Stephen Neal (doesn't this guy look like a Muppet?).

On the next play Brady fed Maroney (3rd and 18) and ran off 27 yards. As he went out for a breather, Dillon ripped off nine yards, then Maroney returned to get stuffed for a lost, which the D sniffed out a mile a way on a two and two.

An incomplete pass to WR Reche Caldwell in the end zone should have been a sure seven, but the Pats have to settle for a Martin Gramatica FG after Reche Caldwell dropped the pass. At this point most of the starters were pulled from the game, with QB Matt Cassell coming in for Brady (3/4 24 yds).

If this first drive is the shade of things to come, some fans in the Patriot Nation will be bored, as this team will be pounding the ball on the ground, and defenses may look helpless just as the Falcons did.

QB Matt Cassell (13/26 229 yds. 1 TD) took the field and gave up an Abraham strip, allowing the Falcons to recover in Patriots territory. The Falcons backup QB Matt Schaub nailed WR Michael Jenkins on the first play from 22 yards out, who went up over Asante Samuel's back to make a nice grab for the TD. Cassell has slowed down compared to last year, and seemed to be accepting his position on the team. He later rebounded to produce good numbers and rushed for a first down to solidify his spot as the number two guy.

RB Laurence Maroney's longest run of the night may have been 27 yards, but it was how he got the other 39 yards piling on yardage after the first initial hits. This guy is like a Weeble... He wobbles, but he don't fall down. Tandem RB's will be on tap for Patriots football this season.

The other highlight of the running game was after Maroney sat and Patrick Cobb drafted from North Texas came into the game and finished 5/25 yards on the ground and 3/80 yards and 1 TD receiving on an impressive screen with a slew of blockers. If this kid continues to impress, RB Faulk will be released, and possibly FB Patrick Pass or Heath Evans, after TE Garrett Mills came into the game as a FB/TE and finished 5/75 yards receiving. 

The WR corps was lacking with  Deion Branch holding out... WR Reche Caldwell (1/7 yds) was in for the opening drive, and dropped the ball when the team needed it the most. Something he will have to clean up before Week 1. Newly signed Eric Davis (1/15 yds) & Rich Musinski (1/6) will need more play over the weeks. Troy Brown was tucked safely away on the sidelines, while Mike McGrew and Bam Childress never touched pigskin leaving the TE corps to pick up the slack... Ben Watson (1/44 yds) led the pack while David Thomas (2/9 yds) didn't threaten to break the roster.

On defense, the pass and run coverage was sloppy giving up yardage early in the night for Vick (3/4 26 yds), and as the night progressed Schuab (7/13 102 yds 1 TD 1 INT), Brian Randall (5/9 82 yds 1 TD) and DJ Shockley (4/10 40 yds) were having their way at times, while no-one could lay their hands on RB TJ Duckett (10/59 yds) and rookie RB Jerious Norwood (7/22 yds rushing 2/71 yds receiving). This kid had SPEED!

A bright spot in the secondary was once again RCB Samuel, who stopped two of the Falcons' drives with an end zone interception, and a great defensive play on a sideline route to force the punt. OLB Mike Vrabel notched a sack, while LB Tully Banta Cain, who is working in Willie McGinest's place, registered a sack, as did rookie LB Pierre Woods, who finished the game with 4 tackles and a sack. ILB Monty Beisel also finished with four tackles, and dropped and INT that he will see in his dreams until the 19th. LB Eric Alexander had three tackles and forced a fumble raising his preseason stock value to the team.

It's tough to gauge the special teams at this time because most of the guys on ST in week one of the preseason are the guys who will be cut to make room for the guys the team doesn't want to cut, but need them on the roster. By week 3 I will be able to give my assessment.

Kicker Stephen Gostowski (1/1) had a 34 yard FG that just barely made it through. (A 34 yard FG from inside the hash marks should not look just inside the post or maybe we here in NE are just spoiled.) Gramatica (2/2) will probably be the winner in this battle, but if it comes down to cap issues, Gostowski would be the cheaper way to go.

Despite the loss, with the backup playing most of the game it was entertaining, and a great way to get the youngsters ready on the road.

Who cares? The guy left the confines of Gillette and all the fringe benefits that guys like Bobby Orr, Carl Yaztremski and Cam Neely have living here, to extend his kicking career by playing indoors. He knew what he wanted, and in my opinion the Pats were never in his plans. He had nice night in Indy, but I give the honeymoon till week 8 or 9 when his FG's are cutting into QB Peyton Manning's incentive/bonus money. You can't throw TD passes if your coach is opting to kick FG's from 35-40 yards out because he has a million dollar kicker on the roster.

Everyone has to eat...